Evacuation plan – Planning to bug out during an emergency

Having an emergency evacuation plan is critical during any survival situation. If things go bad, having a plan of action can help put you 20 steps ahead of the mindless morons who spent their time watching T.V., instead of planning for the very real threats that are out there.

Your Evacuation plan should take the following things into account:

The Most likely Emergency Scenarios:

Put on your thinking cap! Start to list the most likely emergency situations that can take place in your area. Hurricanes, Earthquakes, Civil Unrest, War, Riots, Nuclear or Terror Attacks, Etc…

Once you’ve outlined what those threats are, you need to start thinking about what you would do during each of those situations.

Stay or Go?

The decision to stay home and wait out the disaster, or take your chances out on the road should never be underestimated. Each choice has benefits; but they also each have some major risks associated with them.

When considering what things have to happen before you leave the comfort of your home, really put some work into figuring out what those evacuation triggers are, and when you would put your bug out plans into action. Hint: if you waited for the government to issue mandatory evacuation orders, you waited too long.

Meet up place

When disaster hits, there’s a good chance that your family may not be together. Now is the time to decide on a family meeting place. Pick a place that’s easy to find, and make sure each member of your family can find it during an emergency. Conducting practice drills before disaster hits is essential to your ultimate survival.

Have multiple routes out.

Keep in mind that during a disaster most of the major highways are going to be completely clogged with people trying to get out. Plan now, and map out as many different evacuation routes as possible. Use something like Google Maps to print out possible evacuation routes, and then laminate the paper so it hold up when you need it.

Don’t forget to print out vehicle, and walking routes (hiking trails, railroad tracks, side roads etc… should all be considered).

Survival Supplies:

What items do you need to survive for 72 hours, a week, a month, or even indefinitely? Put together a Survival / Bug Out Bag of essential items that you’ll need to survive each of the situations you identified as being likely threats.

Your evacuation bag should be designed around your family, your climate, and your health. There is no one-size fits all bag, so you need to be especially careful when choosing what items you pack, and make sure you customize your bag for your unique needs.

Where will you go?

Bugging out without a place to go isn’t a plan. Make sure you know exactly where you’re going before disaster strikes. If you don’t own land or a second house, then look for areas to camp that can sustain you and your family.

You may also want to look into investing in a bug out vehicle, a 4 season tent, or a small travel trailer.

Sounds good, if you wait for the order to evacuate, you’ve waited too long? Depending on what is really going on, staying, IMO, will usually be best. If your home was not destroyed by the initial occurance and there is no immediate danger, I doubt I’ll go anywhere, even if the police drive down the street harking orders. If that is your choice, I’d suggest staying quiet and out of sight. Lights off and light disipline. If they come knocking (and your door is already locked) keep quiet and don’t answer it, the officials will go away to the next house assuming you bugged out!

If anything should occur, I believe that leaving my house would be the most appropriate thing to do. I live in a large city, and I strongly believe that man’s greatest enemy is another human. In time like these, panic and stress will most likely cause others to act without thinking and thus become potential source of harm. I have got my evacuation map prepared for a while, and I’ll be heading out of town. Staying home can prove good if you believe the situation will not last long, but otherwise, you are most likely to find food and other goods outside of town than at the local store… I lived through the Quebec 1998 Winter Storm which caused a major panic since the whole province (about 3 millions persons) had to go through a power failure for 3 weeks… in January. Temperatures around here go down to -30C (-22F), and believe me, the was no more food anywhere, no batteries, no help… nothing. And you really wouldn’t go out unless you needed to. Especially at night. Crime rates went up like crazy… Nah… I had a bad enough experience staying home during emergencies… Never again !

“Sketch out some ideas of what you would do when the SHTF and put together a custom survival plan for each scenerio.” If you only take one thing from this article, this is it! Recognize that each different scenario will require a different response. Here’s a few things to consider when reviewing each scenario.
“Food”
“Water”
“Shelter”
“Sanitation”
“Security”
Each scenario may require a different answer to each consideration. You have to find the answer for each one and apply them accordingly. Only then will you know whether you intend to hunker down or bug out. To be truly prepared means you have the answer before the question is raised. Good Luck

The hard lined question is…what is SHTF? As a trained and educated person in hazmat, a survivor of the 1989 quake in CA, a traveler to Central America, CQC and survival trainer, the answer to “what to do” depends on the threat. SHTF is merely a catch all term to describe temporary or long-term chaos. Natural disasters, man-made disasters, war, poverty, crime…is all SHTF. Chemical, Bio, Nuke threats, whether accidental or intentional, have different specific procedures for those who might be exposed, and those who are exposed. It goes on and on…A good start is to see what the military procedures are…Field Manual downloads, http://www.selfreliancegroup.com if you are interested.

Those of you who will stay home will become victims if you live in an urban environment. Your thin walls won’t stop bullets, and you will quickly run out of resources. If you plan on using a generator it will let me know you have fuel and probably food. Better rethink your plan as many of us have already banded together and will do whatever necessary to obtain what we need for our families to survive. If you think you can defend it with you gun, I hope you have already stockpiled tens of thousands of rounds of ammo. At 200 rounds used per encounter, it won’t take long to use up your ammo.

The best thing to do is get all your friends together and make a plan ahead of time. A group of 8-10 people that are armed can more than hold off the roaming gangs that are coming to get your stuff that you should have already been stockpiling. And more than anything else it helps to have Jesus telling you what to do.

I totally believe I must do something, I have two young teens and a husband that pooh poohs needing to be prepared for anything. I have no idea where to start to get the kids and I prepared, I am not going to worry about him. Sounds harsh, there are reasons. I need an idea of what would be the best pack for the girls and I, we are tall and strong, not afraid to carry some weight, and if I should have them armed. I am so glad I found this site, I feel like something bad is coming and feel the urgency to be ready.

Susan, sounds like you have a tough road to walk. Even if your husband is not on board, you would need to start with water and food. Next, you would need shelter and warmth IE; fire, cooking and finally heat. You could get most of this stuff in wallyworld camping sections. Start out with the main priorities in mind, and then as you glean more info, expand. Tell your husband it is in case of earthquakes, flood, tornados, huricanes etc. It is just so you can “take care of your girls” At least a place to start.

Jack Spirko has a good pod cast that addresses this issue. I would start by “cop-canning” that is, when you see a canned good that is on sale, buy a few extra cans. After a while you will build up a supply of the things you actually eat. In the long run, you save money, use that angle with your spouse.

Jack Spirko has a good podcast that addresses this. Start by “copy-canning” when you see a canned good that is on sale, buy a few extra cans, after a while you build up a supply of the things you actually eat. In the long run, you save money, use that angle with your spouse. It takes awhile, but my family has such a better feeling now that we have a little bit of food and water on hand…

i work on a river boat and gone for a month at a time i have told my wife and kids to stay home that i will get to them as soon as i can if i can but if they need to leave we have a plan in progress. my wife can survie and my biggest fear is the shtf when im on the other side of the state and my biggest plan will be to get home so as you see i have other things to consider then a lot of you all

Consider joining or organizing a local militia with like-minded people that can handle pressure and follow a plan. With that said, I will add that the weakest link in a chain is the strength of the whole.

Also, invest in a small solar system and deep cycle battery. They are cheap, quiet and can handle everything necessary as long as you plan ahead for things like extreme cold and cooking with fire-wood or cow patties.

Don’t underestimate the value of a simple hand operated water filter/pump. They remove everything but some viruses and most chemicals. Boil the water, use chlorine, iodine, or add a UV light purifier to kill off the rest. Nothing I know of we can do for the chemicals.

I started preparing my family a couple of years ago for shtf. recently we moved outta the big city into a smaller community but trying to get my neighbors to prepare or even thing ahead is a joke. guess were on our own and theyll be worm food when it hits

I’ve preached for years to close friends and family about “What to do”..when the shit hits the fan and I know that I’m well prepared – We survived hurricane Ike without a scrape due to being overly prepared…My neighbors use to think I was a “survivor nutcase” but they came to me when they needed help.
My advice is to imagine being in the middle of New Orleans when hurricane Katrina hit , and having to ride it out for atleast 14 days without utilities and any help from anyone..
You have a choice of preparing to be a survivor or a victim now , if you wait until the shit hits the fan – it may be too late.
There are numerous books on the subject , numerous websites such as this one …take time to study the subject , someday it may save you and your family’s life.

exactly. I began prepping after katrina,,,then Ike hit here in Houston. We bugged out to hotel in Austin for a couple of days. The two events got me thinking what it would be like in a long term situation like a total economic collapse. Major event that disrupts supply to stores like a nuke blast on east coast or some other crap like that. During Katrina even the cops were looting. They confiscated guns…..reminder for you guys who espouse staying home. How do you fend off the mobs of thugs when the cops have taken your guns and are actually part of the mobs?? I plan on being WAAAY away from any large urban area as soon as I get a whisper of a major calamity pending. Just saying….

Excellent info! I’m glad I found this site! Lots of smart people out there! It’s nice to see that not all of America is asleep…If you were faced with a Bug-Out situation, had all the routes, bug-out bag, essentials to survive, would you take a weapon if it was available to you? I know everyone is different, and some folks believe that everyone is good, and will not harm them… I think drastic people will do drastic things..I have been in situations where I needed a weapon, and am very glad I had one..I’m originally from PA, and have had a CC permit since 84..I know the mere presence of a fire arm will stop most people.. But, what about the states in the country that don’t allow CC ? When the shtf, who cares..Right? Thats the way I look at it.. If you do have to bug out, Law Enforcement will be the least of your worries.. I would think to plan a route out of dodge that will provide you with adequate protection from being seen..If not, then bug out at night..But be armed..Better safe than dead!

Never seen a cop deep in the woods. I have a plan to drive as far as possible and have several spots mapped out where we can enter the deep woods ASAP. Routes all the way to our permenent spot where extended family will coalesce. As for weapons, I have .270 Browning BAR for big game, .22 LR Remington for small game, Kimber .45 Ultra Carry, .40 Sig Sauer P229, .25 cheap throw down pistol, compound bow, recurve and all the ammo we can carry along with two collapsable fishing rods w/reels, lures, hooks, etc. and traps, snares, books on survival, army survival manual, topo maps, …..well you get the idea. My family will be so far in the woods I don’t plan on seeing a cop….or another person for that matter. My hope is to be able to drive all the way to our BO location but I was trained to hope for the best and prepare for the worst.

Thanks for this Site. I’ve just “woke-up” so to speak. My daughter thinks I’m crazy but I know I must prepare for us both. I thought I would wait until next week-end to start buying things but why wait? Every minute counts and I feel something sinister in the air. Something big is coming. Going to check out a gun as well…leaning toward a .38 special undercover lite or equivalent. Any advice? I’ve never cared for guns. I was blind but now I see & My eyes are Wide open. Thanks again.

many indoor gun ranges will rent you a gun for use at their range, this way you can try different ones to see what works best for you. A .38 really doesn’t have a lot of knock down power, I would lean to something a little bigger. You want “a fight ender” 12 gauge or 20 gauge is best, but not easy to hide.

i like this article but i would also put a 22.cal/20.gauge
survival gun because its cheap it has a shot gun and a rifle you can use it to hunt,for defense and signaling its just the best survival gun in my opinon.

When shtf or anything disastrous strikes where we need to go these routes to survive, Many people have things wrong. All is true but when the government collapses and they issue orders. Think Katrina. Prime example our government isn’t out to help you as a person. Your guns hide them but keepem close. They will takem. Katrina proved that. “the great gun grab of new orleans look it up. Many people stayed and protected there homes and property and the police and national guard confiscated all firearms. Illegal yes but it was done. G.W.b and the Nra took measures after this and guaranteed this will never happen again. But ask yourself do you trust your government? If it comes down to me and my family’s survival and I have to kill and take. I will do whatever it takes to accomplish this. WIll you? If they hear generators and see lights. Your the first place i hit. Generators block my arrival when you come out to refill or check why it suddenly shut down I’ll get your food water and supplies. Think people many act as if something happens it’s like a everyday power outage or camping it isn’t. Many of you will die even if prepared.

Honda has a line a generators that are very quiet, but still if you run them at night when it’s very quiet they will be heard. Pick up a few 12 volt car batteries and charger, and LED lights have a low draw, but Kris is right, don’t make yourself a target. Stay off the radar and stay safe…

So sad to read people talking about killing each other and stealing supplies for their and their families survival. You are the people who make disaster and SHTF scenarios so truly terrifying and ultimately devastating. Defending your own self and families ability to survive against marauders is the biggest hazard. It hasn’t even happened yet and you’re already planning on killing and robbing families so yours can survive? Going after people with generators? Make sure you bring your whole family in with you to witness as you sign the death warrant someone’s family, women and children, by taking their only means of survival, or worse, after you kill them yourself.

Survival is no excuse to abandon morality. If we don’t remain human, and work together, we will all perish. God have mercy on us.

Please reconsider your thoughts and decisions, and see them as tragic, evil, and the catalyst to making an already terrible situation, truly horrific.

Adam,
Believe me they will not be knock on any door they will be busting it down or shooting the lock off, do not take offense to the way these people are talking they are just letting you know what you will be up against, they won’t necessarily be the one doing what they are stating but you can bet there are plenty of others who will be, most are trying to get you in the right frame of mind , so when you do encounter this you are ready!

I felt led after thinking about it some more to leave my previous response on a more productive note with a suggestion, a reality check and an invitation in that order. And just so you know, I’d share my last scrap of supplies with you, you only have to ask, not ambush.

A suggestion….If you learn to fish, hunt, snare, live off the land and harvest from the sea, like people have for thousands of years, you’ll be able to feed yourself and family without having to get desperate enough to consider preying on other people.

A reality check……We’re ALL going to die someday. Not a thing you can do to change that. Its just a question of how and when. Don’t kid yourself to think that by preying on others you’ve saved your life, only postponed the inevitable a little while, at the cost of your soul.

An invitation….Accept the offering of peace from God, and fear death no longer. “….. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that we might become the righteousness of God”
2 Corinthians 5:20-21

That is the best attitude I’ve seen. It’s like everyone thinks if they make it thru the initial bs they’re gonna live forever. Best to be equally concerned with your eternal soul and where it ends up. I don’t see anybody worrying about the afterlife. Regardless, more people could do with your attitude.

I THINK OF SHTF AS IF ITS ME VS EVERYONE if you need supplies and yours run out,you are goint to go looking for supplies. As horific as it seems if you or your family are starving your goint to do what ever it takes to provide for them. We are all animals on the inside.Think of your self as a domesticated dog happy and content untill your beaten and starved your gunna fight back.If it comes down to it I WILL DO WHAT IT TAKES TO PROVIDE FOR MY FAMMILY morals are out the window at this point.

In response to the comments by Adam I totally agree, AMEN!
In response to the comments by Slayer I understand where you are coming from and you are right if you are starving and your watching your loved ones die and you have the ability to take something in order to survive most will instinctivley do so. It is like a mother bear protecting her young, human moms are no different and in this scanario dads wont be either. I have been a military police officer and a civian police officer and I have seen things that people will do in a time of panic or crises and you will even amaze yourself in many cases. The best way to put it is to say it just like they did when I was on the police force. When it comes to taking another human life many think (before they are actually faced with the decision to do so) that it os something that they could do if it is a him/her vs an attacker type situation. However the truth of the matter is that when you are forced as an otherwise normal human being who would not think of killing as an option are forced to do so even in an act to save yourself it is a difficult task for most. There are those who are just without a mind or heart or feeling that can kill and have it not affect them what so ever. These are the ones we call NUTS. The trick to it is this. We cannot control others we can only control ourselves. And personally I will say when not if, these types of situations occur there will be those willing to kill without thought or provocation to sustain themselves and their loved ones and their will be the rest of us who will have to make that choice when faced with it in our own hearts and minds. The problem will be figuring out who is on what side of that coin when the SHTF so WHEN SHTF be cautious but remeber who you are and if your killed in the middle of the night by the raid of a maniac who doesnt care just remember you did the right thing and can go in peace to God they on the other hand will have to answer to a higher authority than you or I when their time comes.

Always in times of peace, prepare for war, in times of war prepare for hell on earth…

Not everyone is Christian, and not all non Christians are morally bankrupt. My own religion places family and community above the individual. But, if the community is threatened, everyone outside the community is just that, outside. I will try every option I can before taking your stuff, for many reasons. First, I hope the larger community will survive, and if it does, I want my actions to help that process not hinder it. Second, taking someone else’s goods has the risk of me being injured or killed, which renders me unable to provide for those I love. Third, I am not heartless. BUT attack me and mine, and I will fight. Prove you are outside my community by acting as an enemy, and I will bring the fight to you, and will then take your goods as the spoils of war. And this isn’t macho bluster. I am a veteran, have the training and experience, as do many of those in my “family”. Treat us fairly, and we’ll do the same…

As already stated by some: You gotta know you can kill, else a gun is useless! As Child of Odin said: I am a veteran, have training & experience… He left off the important part: “I WILL!” I (myself) KNOW I WILL: 1. do whatever it takes for me & those I love & trust to survive. 2. do whatever it takes to provide for them, using ANY MEAN NECESSARY (preferably without killing). 3. Will kill (without hesitation) if I deem it necessary. NOTE: If I DEEM IT NECESSARY! Only YOU can decide to kill or not kill!!! I’ve lived with “it” for over 40 years, and know I can do it again, if the situation warrants. KNOWING is VERY important; hesitation can get you killed….

No, I am not saying “shoot first, ask questions later” but am saying “Know you can and WILL” without any doubt.

Hope this helps some of you realize what you are discussing here. Know almost none of you have ever “taken a human life” or even seen someone else do it. Hope you never will.

I am new to prepping but one thing that I have not seen mentioned so far is medical training. Does anyone have any suggestions on EMT type training that one can learn without having to quit their job? I don’t want to become and EMT…but I do want to have that skill set when the SHTF.

TTP, in the early 90’s, I learned to be an EMT just by signing up to a local fire/ambulance co. and taking the class. It costs, and there are various state rules and regs, but nothing a person can’t do on their own. I did, on a dare no less. You, (as far as I know), won’t be forced to join a fire company, and if you are, it will be your own home town’s anyway, it can be “volunteer on your own time”, (a min. amount of hrs a month) and you can learn a LOT from interacting w/ a system like that, incl. like-minded ppl.

You take the class in the evening or, like I did, on a Saturday, so rarely a prob. for work, and if there is, (hourly/mixed sched.), then sweet talk your boss into it as an “added asset” and to let you work your schedule around to accommodate your lessons. FIND A GOOD PARTNER in the class tho – “practicals” – the tests at the end – are a BITCH! LOL!! If I could pass them, you will, w/ flying colors. And I learned something else the hard way, in my case, there were 4 scenarios – I froze on one and my partner froze on one. I wanted SOOOOO BADLY to help her but it was single person CPR and I didn’t know I could. The instructor/test admin said later how he saw I wanted to, so badly, and that we would not have failed if I had told her what to do – “it was what partners were for”. Make sure of that (being able to help like that) before you take them, and they’ll be a piece of cake! :)

Also, there’s CERT training, making you both valuable to the company you work for, to your town/city, and INFINITELY valuable in the first few days after an emergency, except rioting, but not even the cops got a handle on that! Ah! Looked it up… Oh gee, it’s from the “freicorp”! But it’s still useful, but taking it might make you beholden, under duress, to the gov’t when tshtf. Pursue that at your own risk. http://www.citizencorps.gov/cert/training_mat.shtm

Go ahead and seriously check out becoming an EMT. Gall’s catalog will sell you GOBS of really COOL stuff and supplies if you are one, (no proof required, for those of you who haven’t thought of that as a resource yet, just say you are, or we say”correctional officer” cuz my husband was one. Also firefighter, and EMT, it’s how we met.) However, when it comes to when you’ve already learned I STRONGLY, and w/o reservation, recommend that you choose a company and run w/ them, polish your skills. If only learned from a book, you loose ’em quick, take it from one who knows. (And as NO ONE told me, yes, you ARE allowed to be freaking terrified for however long. I thought I was a failure for being scared. Ergo, my EMT career lasted 4 years. Don’t remember half what I learned either.)

Hope this wordy missive gives you usable info and the nudge to pursue that angle. Good on ya, dear, many ppl besides yourself will be helped by what you do.

Let me tell you I did the EMT / Paramedic training and was a Professional Firefighter in a Busy Northern city. I quit because of AIDS, Hepatitus and all the other diseases the scumbags have out there. Forget being the concerned citizen do-gooder, good samaritan. Unless it is family member or close friend. People will fake injuries and when you stop to help, you will get robbed and raped. Just keep going on your way. It will be the worlds natural way of sorting out the week. Just like cigarette smokers and drug addicts, A good way to get rid of the scum first. Just dig large holes and push them in to bury the disease.

I own a .357 ruger GP100. I love it because it’s big enough to hunt dear or kill a black bear, and a human wouldn’t stand a chance. A .38 special is nice but not for animal protection, and you can shoot .38 ammo in the .357 which you may already know. It’s a very versatile gun.

according to some sites – it will be WHERE and WHAT STATE in the US you live in that will up your survival rate. Some say NM, CO, basically higher ground is recommended. but preferably NOT beside a mountain because of muslides and they also stay away from water such as lakes that can flood. Naturally, foo, h20, shelter, sanitation and security go hand in hand with the most suitable location. Everyone has their take on exactly what where and how this disaster will strike – it’s daunting to try to put everything together just so in hopes to be a survivor. I am making small, thoughtful steps to put this survival plan together NOW and when the SHTF I am sure I will be screaming WTF because something tells me it’s gonna be a wild ride!!! I do not like violence, but let’s be realistic, you are going to need a gun, like it or not. Money in the bank won’t do anyone any good, silver, gold, gems things to barter with, yeah – now I have to convince my Italian skeptical husband and he’s now going to threaten divorce because I know he’s going to think I’ve gone plum loco!!!!!

Here’s a basic and perhaps to some a rather niave question…where does one look to find a “bug out” site? I live in SC…have spent hours on the Internet looking at places in NC but evidently don’t use the right keywords because all I get are vacation rentals, mountain properties for far too much money, campgrounds with pools and “nightly entertainmant” and nothing that really suits. Also, like others here, have a spouse that poo poos my long-term survival efforts (but I’m doing them anyway), so spending any signifcant money is almost out of the question.

I DONT THINK MOST PEOPLE IN THIS COUNTRY HAVE WITTNESSED JUST WHAT OTHERS WILL DO TO SURIVE,IVE TRAVELED TO AND BEEN COUNTRIES WHERE I HAVE SEEN FAMILY MEMBERS KILL OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS FOR FOOD,TRUST THIS,YOURE BEST FRIEND WILL BECOME YOUR ENEMY IF A SITUATION OF KILL AND SURVIE,DONT KILL AND PERSHI EXSISTS.THEY WILL KILL YOU TO GET WHAT YOU HAVE,IT IS IN FACT HUMAN NATURE,IN THE WILL TO SURVIE,SAD BUT TRUE,BETTER TO HAVE AND NOT NEED ,THAN TO NEED AND NOT HAVE,I SAY TO THE PERSON THAT SAID,IF YOU WAIT FOR THE GOV TO DIRECT YOU YOUVE WAITD TO LONG ,THEY WILL BE BUSY SAVING THEIR OWN ASSES AND SURE AS HELL NOT WORRIED ABOUT YOUARM AND PROVISON YORSELF IF YOU HOPE TO HAVE ANY CHANCE AT ALL

There is a lot of talk about “BOB’s” and they are great but do not forget the “GHB” “Get Home Bag” Most likley if somethig hits, its going to be while most of us are at work, threfore you need a GHB, it’s about 1/2 to 2/3rds the size of the BOB, perhaps something on the scale of a day pack upwords to a Maxpedition Condor II ruck. small enough to stash in yor trunk or office under the desk, yet big enough for your needs to get you home. Then decide from there.

I have been reading all of the comments since the top of the article and this is the first mention of the GHB. So many people overlook the fact that a good portion of the day they are at work or shopping, or somewhere other than home. Having a true BOB for the car, and home is really not that practical or necessary. Unless you are one of the unfortunate people that happens to be on vacation at the time STHF, you should be within a day or two hike of the rest of your gear. If you get used to carrying your full BOB and only have to start out carrying a GHB you will be able to move much faster and farther until you reach the rest of your gear. I use a couple of ALICE packs that I restitched myself as BOBs, but I use a three day pack as my GHB, the bag itself weighs less than half of one of the ALICE packs, the gear that is in it is designed to get me home, a small tarp for shelter, a change of clothes, food for three days, three 1qt canteens, 12 extra water .5oz pouches, a KA-Bar Bolo style machete, Boots, small first aid kit, fire starting gear, a multitool, a beretta U22 with the rifle kit, 200 rounds of .22 vacuum sealed, and a pocket micro waterfilter in case I am a couple or three days out and have to refill. All of my gear fits with extra room to spare so that depending on the season I can add cold weather gear and a sleeping bag. All of it weighs approximatly 1/3rd of my BOB which I can carry comfortably for six hours at a time, and can push it for ten. Once I get back to the rest of my gear, I am good for no less than 1 year excepting water, unless I have to bug out. I forgot the laminated maps, compass, and monocular (save weight and space) all are very important if I need to stay off the roads while returning to the rest of my gear.

bugging out with out a place to go is definitely not a plain. but going to a place where other people are isn’t a plain neither. I got plains laid out for my deer lease the upper end of a swamp rough going to get in .So no one should follow .plenty of fish and game . I know the terrain very well out of the way.with water year round already planted with corn turnips and other growing supplies…. and then it’s time to rethink life as we know it.the start of a new way….

To those of you who are saying they will kill my family to take our food…SHAME ON YOU…why would you kill me or mine because you didn’t prepare enough…

I worry all the time if I have enough supplies stored up. I go without so that I can save up to buy extra gear. I try and buy a couple of items every week or save up for a “big purchase” once a month.

Think about this…if you come and try and take whats mine whose to say you won’t die in the process leaving your family even worse off then before..If you come to my house with bad intentions you better be ready for a gun fight with my whole family…

I’ve gotta say it is pretty messed up that people are outright posting on here that their plan is to murder other innocent people for their supplies when the SHTF. I don’t deny that such things happen in times of desparation, but you need to be one sick individual to have that be your plan of action in preparation of taking care of your family.

I love my family, self defense is one thing but outright murder for them is out of the question. I don’t care if they’re starving to death in front of me. They don’t deserve life any more than anyone else just because they are dear to me. Theft? Absolutely. Never murder.

But…a digression back into the absurd. I simply cannot believe what I’m reading from some people here saying that they will kill my family and take my food to feed their families. I’ve never heard such commentaries from my countrymen. It’s scary and faith-shaking. I worry more about some of these nut-jobs here than I do my own ever-intrusive
government.

A word of warning…not all of us here are sheep. Some of us have experience…extensive experience in various combative arts and weaponscraft. Many of us have even been stress inoculated by various real-life experiences in dealing with criminals and terrorists. Any of you “computer commandos” here, who have never spent a second in an life-or-death situation, ever find yourself at my door during a disaster attempting to take from my babies…well, you will find your head on a pole.

Now, can we please get back to scholarly information-sharing and rational thinking?

I have no romantic notions about “my countrymen”. we are ALL capable of heinous acts. I personally will avoid such adventures if at all possible purely out of a sense of self preservation. “He who attacks must vanquish. He who defends must merely survive”–Master PO, “Kung Fu” TV series.Nobody stays undefeated forever.
I do fear that some will use survival as a rationalization for victimizing their neighbors. If you do try this course, expect people to unite and hunt you.

Ohhhhh my, my all this talk about murder!!!! If it happens be prepared and try to work with others and survive….. Yippp ya need a gun and ammo , and be willing to use it, only of necessary…. Use your common sense…. water, d-food, filtration, power source, cold weather gear, shelter, bug-0ut vehicle/4×4….and for sure a good survival plan….. the key is be ready…. God willing, if ya die and your Born Again, you’ll go to Heaven……

All of this information is geared towards the United States. SHTF can happen in any country. Many countries do not allow civilians to own firearms so they will have different survival requirements than people in the US that can easily access firearms.

I am in the UK and we would be forced to learn how to trap/catch food using snares, deadfalls etc. I am lucky enough to hold a firearm permit and have access to a .22 semi auto rifle but I am in the minority. Less than 0.01% of the population of the UK have access to firearms so it is not an option most people thinking about bugging out can use.

As for shooting another human – the only time you should even start to consider this is if your own life is in immediate danger. Saying that, if I am in a situation where someone is pointing a firearm or shotgun at me and I have a chance to get a shot off first, I am going to take it with no hesitation. However, if I have the luxury of choosing my shot I will be shooting to wound, not to kill.

I am in the Point Loma area of San Diego. On a regular Friday all roads are clogged out of the town, and, since I am in a peninsula there are very few roads out to major highways. All it takes is a little rain and a normal 40 minute commute can become an hour and a half…..and that is not any SHTF thing!

So, I will not be on the road stuck somewhere between here and there. So, my choice is to stay, not much hope in outlasting any thing larger than one or two goes at my home. But, at least I will be at a position I know and have a better chance of putting a good effort in than on a stuck highway.

Only hope is to gather up neighbors with some skills. But a small group has to sleep and eat, so?

you may want to consider a vehicle that can use the ditch such as an SUV or 4×4 truck. And always keep maps of the area in your vehicle, what if you get into an area you don’t normally travel in, and GPS isn’t working?

I am prior service and I find the comments made by some on here sick and cowardly. For those of you that would kill to get what you need. Get off your ass put down the dope pipe and prepare yourself. A disaster in this country would be bad. How we function after is and will be the determining factor on how we survive and rebuild. By working together and continuing to be as civil as possible you and your family will get a lot farther in your survival then by constantly putting yourself and your family in harms way to take from others. There are bountyfull foods in the wild. I suggest you spend a few $$ more on books to teach you and a little less on ammo to use against others! The knowledge you’ll gain will feed your family much longer then killing someone for there last can of beans! Shame on you!
I have weapons too. The Army has taught me well how to be a effecient killing machine. Having this knowledge doesnt mean i go out and use force to take whatever i want. It makes me respect life even more and always always using force as a last resort and in defense only. I assure you, should you and i ever meet and you want to take the few things i have for yourself it will be the last day of your pathetic existence! People in a bug out situation that carry weapons are for defense. Dont be a taker you’ll live longer!

Not only very well stated, but also people seem to think that just because we enter a SHTF scenario we will not come out of it, and people will not remember those that commited acts of out right murder. As someone that has also served I know that even in times of war, you are responsible for your actions at all times, and people DO remember.

Watch the traffic in any major city on a “normal” day. Then look up images of evacuations when a hurricane is forecast. If you don’t have a crystal ball to predict a sudden event, chances are you’ll “bug in” whether you want to or not. Most of us will be forced into uneasy alliances out of necessity.

I am new to this site, I have to say if you have posted or are reading this blog, your heart and mind is in the right place. The best advice I can give you from my personal experiences I am not going to further expound on is this; Have multiple survival bags around your life: appropriate survival packs in the house and all vehicles, CBR bags at the ready FOR EACH PERSON (as this is a probable course of action for those that would do us harm), weapons at the ready (and you better be willing to use them yes over something as trevial as food), and continuous training for your familily and yourself-if you think something is important to train on, it is. Finally, prepare your house, to move means you are in immediate danger or have a more survivable destination. If you are building your house, build it with the frame of mine that if could eventually be your refuge against the world. I am not saying bunker, but I am saying something more than 2×4 construction. Earth Sheltered has the best utility with modern conveniences, but Earth Bermed simply covered is a better way to go. To leave your familiar living situation to attemtp to travel to another location, especially with human baggage, is not prudent or tactically responsible. You better be in mortal danger, no one can transport all the equipment, supplies, and gear for an extended amount of time, on their backs! Prepare your own refuge, and back it up with a viable bug out plan, if you can’t do both, decide which is more important and concentrate your resources towards that end. Hope this helps, I am full of this kind of information, sometimes I can ramble, maybe someone will reflect on what I have said and make appropriate changes to an otherwise ineffective strategy they have put in place for their families.

Thank you to everyone who posted helpful information on surviving a frightening situation. My family has been preparing for several years, but I fear we will never be really ready. Our boys know how to shoot a gun, but they also know that they are only to be used to defend, protect and provide food, never to murder. I would be so disheartened to see them behave in a vicious, heartless manner and take from someone else just for the sake of taking. Just keep in mind that your children will be watching and copying your behavior, so please reconsider killing someone for your own gain. This is not how we would want our surviving species to behave. God bless!

Based on years of observation/Intel:
1. CSMO ( collect shit move out) .
2. Focus on GEAR you can carry on your back ie large ruck sack which is best,
consider gear that you must have not things you can do without ie, ipods
laptops, any type of tech ( which has a beacon of sorts, they can track you) .
Stay with commonly used gear, TP, hygiene gear, etc.
3. Go somewhere that provides cover and concealment,water,game( not women
felas ).
4. MOVEMENT: Travel by night, travel quietly, silence all gear, nutralize all items
On your person, and gear of any scent, use 550 cord to secure any gear not in
packed away, wear nothing shiny, leave no trace of yourself where ever you
sleep, or relieve yourself, always as if you were never there!! If you are with
one or more people ( not persons) , everyone takes a turn on watch for one
hour ( security ).
5. Avoid towns, cities, anywhere there is a lot of people, avoid traveling on the
hwy, or in wide open spaces, stay out sight!! If you plan on staying some place
for a while ( cache ) your most valuable gear, acquire backup gear just in case
you lose it or get rolled!!
6. COMMON US WEAPONS:
7.62MM X 39,51
5.56MM
9MM
45cal
12g ( MOSSBERG 590/M-9 Bayonet )
Leatherman
Sharpening stone
ASP
Protect helmut
Binos
Moro cross body armorial
Etc.
7. Help people during your journey, for what you do in life echoes an eternity.
Kill, steal, do harm to others only as a LAST resort ( What goes around
comes around ).
8. NEVER lose your humanity ( Apocalypse or similar ) is no excuse.
FOCUS ON: AMMO//MEDICAL & DENTAL// HYGIENE GEAR MALE & FEMALE//
BARTER GEAR//SURVIVAL GEAR//FOOD//WATER & WATER PURIFY GEAR//
MISC SMALL TOOLS// Do not forget to help others ie women children,
animals ( Be-friend and acquire a large dog, try and get a horse they don’t
brake down, and can go places that vehicles cannot, they are also
good for detecting beyond human senses..

If you are reading this, you are the resistance, together we survive divided
we shall fall.

I understand that some people write some of these comments for shock factor, that being said, murder even during a SHTF situation will be remembered. As someone who has served and under the rules of war I do know that people do not forget. We will eventually return to some form of normal life with law and order, and in that time, if you are still around, people that remember your actions will push for you to be punished (and they should). And believe me it is not as easy as you think to stare down your sights, or through your scope and pull that trigger. Those that find it easy and it does not bother them, are sick and probably a bigger danger to others than anyone relizes. So if you are not a religious person who believes in te verses that have been quoted think of it from a legal stand point, you will be held to account for your actions, we will not crumble completely as a society, just be adjusted a bit. There will always be laws against murder, and those will even apply to your actions during the chaos. Whether you are judged by God or your fellow man, you will be judged.

I also forgot to mention, in a true SHTF or THEOTWAWKI scenario an estimate of around 35% of people will not make it just based on psychological stress and incompatability with the changes that will be happening, so right off the bat 35% of people will be incapacitited by psychological reasons, that includes even some people who are very well prepared. You never know how you are going to react until you face it. I have been in war zones and opperated almost mechanically (do to extensive training) and yet even I cannot say with 100% certainty that I would not be part of the 35%.

In a time of turmoil, punishment is unlikely to be a prison cell with access to a law library, cable TV, and gym facilities (who ever thought it was a good idea to help violent criminals get stronger?).

An easy way to accumulate food for a BOB is to dehydrate canned food. You can do this in an oven or food dehydrator at home. It is a great winter project, since the heat isn’t wasted.
Pour the contents of a canned food on a plastic-wrap-covered cookie sheet. Spread it out in a thin layer.
Set the oven to 140 F (or as low as possible). Dehydrate the food completely (until it is brittle), place dehydrated food in a plastic sandwich bag with label showing contents, quantity, date and instructions.
Store in your refrigerator or freezer door. It is light-weight, easy to use (just add water) and can be eaten hot or cold.
With the salt content of most canned goods, this food should be well preserved. It will keep in a refrigerator for several years, and in a freezer almost indefinitely.

I haven’t seen one thing addressed here – what about the handicapped who CAN’T test out their gear by hiking and can’t hike, no matter what, even in a disaster? We have one campground around here that we MIGHT be able to test our gear out on, but no hiking, using our vehicle only. I actually had all this stuff written out as to my take on it, but I realized it had turned into a dang term paper and no one needed to read all that! :) So what about handicapped ppl? Pray fervently? ;) Which, of course, we do. I want to say, I have NEVER in all these last three years, seen a blog so willing to accept God, His protection of us and His provision for those who, for whatever reason or whenever, have to look to Him in impossible situations. I REALLY appreciate that!

No offense, but I do not believe the ADA has taken into consideration anything in respect to a collapse of infrastructure, or vice versa. This probably needs a section or site of its own to focus on special needs. It does open a whole new subject for discussion requiring some realistic thoughts on alternatives.

For those that are restricted to only traveling by a specially modified vehicle or ‘arm-strong’ use of a wheelchair, there is something that you will need to think even more about based on your own situation. Strengthening your home defenses and supplies may be your best, if not only option. If you must evacuate and traffic congestion becomes impossible to go further, you will become subjected to whatever the government has come up with to accommodate your needs as best as they can being ‘herded with the masses’.

If you have a strong family support, that should help alleviate some of the pressures, but if you are on your own, and I do not mean to sound crude, you may be SOL and become a statistic, which leaving your survival in His hands may be just that.

Who knows, maybe His plan is for you to become actively involved to help come up with a means to help people in similar situations come up with a viable alternative.

I have family in a similar situation and this has made me think more about it.

Every SHTF Scenario will be different for every person/family in one way or another; you need to think through what could be the most realistic scenarios that you could face.

You live on a peninsula that gets quickly congested on a normal weekend. What do you do if you are not on the peninsula?

You have 300 pounds of food stock piled. What do you do if your house and all your supplies get destroyed from some natural or man-made disaster? Can you carry the 300 pounds of food on your back if you must leave?

How are you going to get to your supplies or bug-out location if you are thousands of miles away on vacation or business?

What do you do if you reach your bug-out location only to find that someone else with more ‘resources’ has squatted your location?

Firearms, if you are allowed to own them will depend on where you are, if you have to go to the mountains where there are bears and other ‘wild’ contenders for the same food, plan on a .44; for personal protection, a .357 also uses .38 rounds, for food gathering, a .22 or better yet a very quiet sling shot or bow with arrows (including fishing arrow). If you are with a group of people forming an ‘extended family’, plan to have common types so ammo can be shared.

In the end “He who dies with the most toys (supplies); still dies!” The rest is relative to ‘the quality of life.’

The best planning you can do is to increase your knowledge and skills to survive with as little as possible; in a small stealthy daypack. You will need to blend in with the environment and other lemmings and try not to stand out among the crowd. You cannot lose or be separated from your brain unless like someone else posted has been smoking stuff in their pipe. Except for air travel, you could probably keep your entire daypack kit with you or at least within minutes of you at all times; that along with your knowledge is the best preparation.

Regularly ‘test your knowledge’ and keep fine-tuning your daypack contents to best optimize your chances.
Remember the Rule of three’s:
3-minutes without air, 3-hours without protection from the elements, 3-days without water, 3-weeks without food

As for me, other than the clothes on my back and good boots I always rotate through, my daypack has:
A sturdy reliable sheath knife, a folding knife and a multi-tool;
At least 4 different methods to start fire;
A 1-1.5 liter cook pot with spoon/spork;
A metal water bottle that can stand up to boiling water in that fire;
A decent / reliable water filtration tool;
A sling shot;
A wool sweater;
Compressed wind/water proof jacket;
Two pairs of wool socks;
550 paracord;
Poncho/tarp;
First/Last-Aid kit;
Quality Space Blanket (or two);
Some food to get started with;
Again, fine-tune to your immediate needs, and test your skills with the equipment at hand.

Get this: If there is no electricity or communication is shut down via Solar Flare / EMP or any other factor, The greatest threat is humans who are not prepared aka:Zombies, They will be on the street looting and looking for food, grocery stores shelves will be wiped out in a day, FOOD STAMPS EBT cards will not work, they will want to take your food, Another good reason to have 3 to 6 months of food where you do not have to leave your home bunker for months. The Zombies will be the first to die, and those that depend on drugs legal or otherwise. Major cities will fall into chaos, and those who are not shot by law enforcement will be imprisoned in FEMA Camps. Then after a month or massive chaos, the rest will be sorting out what next to do. Have at least 5 ways to cook food, stock up on firewood, propane gas, camp fuel, solar ovens, and find mutual sources of fresh water for filtration. Move at night and dress stealthy, and go in groups and cary protection. Bicycles will be very handy, store multi gas cans for a major move out of the area. stock up on food in storage container so you can load them in your vehicle, Guns/ammo, paper county maps, kayaks, canoes, go places where no one can walk to. Take cover and hide out for months, learn to trap, snare, fish, hunt, and learn to identify edible plants list. Today, buy products that you will need for a full year. dozens of tooth brushes, toilet paper, dental floss, and any other product you depend on. Have this all stored in container for easy loading into your vehicle. Back pack with essentials for foot survival. Jerks will be throwing nails on roads and your vehicle will quickly become disabled and create a bottle neck on the highways. DO NOT Follow your GPS, as the GPS will force everyone on the same road. I suggest sit tight for several months and let the freaks and ammatures kill each other during the first month. Today, set up layers of protection in your yard, fences, vertical spikes you can pound in the ground near fences to stop intruders, have already made “NO Tresspassing: Signs already to post if necessary. DO this today, not when SHTF, because everything will be sold off the shelf. Extra axes and saws, any hand tools you need to fix your vehicle, and extra serpentine belt for your auto, extra oil filters, and oil, extra windshield wipers, a CB radio, hand held walkie talkies, a hand held Oregon 550T trail GPS to locate water holes, and hideouts. Think outside the box and roll play situations, and get out there ans bike trail now, hike, back pack and train train train and know all of your gear. Stay safe and see you a few years from now as TWAWKI will be long gone.

All of the bug out articles I have read, those considering escape routes and those considering the gear to be taken, seem to me to be excluding some very important pieces of gear. The weapons for self defense. I and my children, who have all been trained on their use, will be carrying my handguns, shotguns and rifles. not only will they come in useful in acquiring game to eat but also in the protection of the group. Good luck to all of you in what I see as some very bad times ahead.

I know I’m coming to this discussion late, but I’m curious what some of you might think about an evacuation plan that includes traveling to the nearest military base…I am currently “property of the US Government”, and I only just recently started exploring the pros and cons of making a tactical withdrawal inside the base fence…

Is this base empty, evacuated ?
I’m pretty sure operating bases will not take in refugees
simply because they will be over run, they have limited supply’s for the current personnel.

Aside of sitting outside the fence and starving with hope they will toss some food out for you like a dog
you made the wrong decision.
Current or retired military they may take in if they are in need of “useful” people.

I would love to hear some thoughts on my situation. I currently live on a military base with 3 young boys. So question is do you think,assuming house is not damaged, do I stay on post or do I bug out. I am fairly new to prepping but have started. It’s a strange position because I know it’s like a suburb and plenty of people are not prepared but I also know that most have way more training. ..anyway all opinions welcome